A typical problem with passenger side airbag covers is a poor fit to finish in the vehicle's instrument panel in which the passenger side airbags are installed. Uneven airbag cover to instrument panel gaps and non-flush conditions often exist simply because the covers are fixedly mounted or permanently secured to the airbag canister with no adjusting movement therebetween being possible. Of course, it is essential with any type of airbag cover to canister attachment to provide and maintain attachment of the cover to the canister during the deployment of the airbag.
Another common problem with passenger airbag covers resides in damages such as marks, mars, scuffs, scrapes, paint peel, sinks and the like to the visible surface. If the cover is permanently attached to the airbag canister, the entire airbag module must be replaced. Likewise, if the canister is to be serviced, the entire module must be removed which could cause damage to the airbag cover or again provide an improper fit of the canister along with its permanently mounted cover.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved passenger airbag cover to canister attachment which overcomes the problems enumerated above.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved passenger airbag cover to canister attachment which allows movement of the cover relative to the airbag canister in three directions while still providing enough structural integrity to maintain attachment of the cover to the canister during airbag deployment.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved passenger side airbag cover to canister attachment in which the cover can be removed and replaced if necessary without replacing the entire airbag module.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved passenger airbag cover to canister attachment which is provided with a tamper-proof feature.